Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
24 September 2024
|
Story Aimée Barlow
|
Photo Supplied
Louzanne Coetzee, who made history by clinching South Africa’s second medal at the Paralympics, earning a bronze in the T11 1 500 m women’s final with a personal best time, received a warm reception when she recently returned home.
The celebrated Paralympic bronze medallist Louzanne Coetzee returned home to a warm welcome at the Bram Fischer International Airport on 10 September 2024.
Family, friends, colleagues, Arista students, and media gathered to celebrate her remarkable achievement and show their support.
Coetzee – KovsieSport Coordinator of Parasport at the University of the Free State (UFS) – made history by clinching South Africa’s second medal at the Paralympics, earning a bronze in the T11 1 500 m women’s final with a personal best time. Her dedication and hard work have not only brought her personal glory but have also inspired many in her community.
Among those present to welcome her was Jerry Laka, Director of KovsieSport, who expressed his pride in Coetzee’s accomplishments.
"We as KovsieSport are so proud of our colleague Coetzee. It is amazing to see a product of KovsieSport achieving greatness on the world stage. She is truly an inspiration to us all," said Laka.
“I am so glad to be back, and to have Laka and my colleagues here. It means the world to me. Having Laka here shows his commitment to my career and ParaSport and his staff in general,” shared Coetzee, her gratitude evident.
She further expressed her appreciation for the support she received, stating, “I don’t have the words to describe how thankful I am for the support from the UFS community.”
Coetzee’s return is a proud moment for South Africa and the University of the Free State (UFS) community. Welcome home, Louzanne! Your achievements have made us all proud!
Alumni to be honoured once again for outstanding achievements
2016-09-05
Adv Roelf Meyer won the Chancellor’s
Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2015.
Alumni are a source of pride for the University of the Free State and their work in all spheres of society is recognised and celebrated. The UFS Alumni Office invites nominations for outstanding alumni for achievements attained in both their personal capacity and professional fields, for the Kovsie Alumni Awards in the following categories:
* The Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award is the highest honour accorded to an alumnus. This award recognises the distinguished achievements of its recipient (both professionally and personally) on a national or international scale.
* The Young Alumnus of the Year Award aims to recognise and celebrate the achievements of alumni who have graduated within the past decade.
* The Cum Laude Award is bestowed upon an alumnus to recognise excellence in any field.
* The Executive Management Award is made to any person (not necessarily an alumnus) who has delivered exceptional service to the university.
The Kovsie Ambassador Award is bestowed upon an individual whose achievements have brought distinction to him/her, benefited his/her community and brought credit to the University of the Free State
Nominations can be submitted in writing to the Alumni Office at alumni@ufs.ac.za using the provided nomination form. The nominee’s qualification and the year in which it was obtained at the UFS must be clearly indicated on the nomination form. In addition, a comprehensive CV of the nominee (including his/her achievements) must accompany each form. A selection panel will choose the outstanding candidate(s) with age, race and gender playing no role in the selection process. The closing date for submission of nominations is 12:00 on 30 September 2016.
In 2015, the Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumnus Award was presented to Adv Roelf Meyer at a luncheon held on 29 August. This year, the awards will be presented at a gala banquet on Saturday, 5 November.
Some of the previous winners include well known personalities such as: Leon Schuster, Cum Laude Award recipient, 1992; Dr Sheila Aronstam, Jewish historian, Kovsie Alumnus of the Year, 2013; Tate Makgoe, MEC for Education in the Free State, Alumni Cum Laude Award winner 2013; and Judge Violet Phatshoane, Judge of the Northern Cape High Court, Kovsie Alumni Award winner of 2014.
For inquiries, contact Helen Namponya on +27 051 401 9343, or by e-mail at alumni@ufs.ac.za.